The present invention relates to a cleaning method of a toner image carrying body in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, printer or facsimile device, and to a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus.
As an image forming process to form an image onto a recording material by an electro-photographing system, as being well known, a system by which, by conducting the charging processing, exposure processing and developing processing on a photoreceptor, a toner image is formed on the photoreceptor, and the formed toner image is transferred onto the recording material and fixed, thereby, the image is formed, is mainly used. Further, as another image forming process by which the image is formed by the electro-photographing system, there is a system by which, after the toner image is formed on the photoreceptor by the charging processing, exposure processing and developing processing, the formed toner image is transferred onto an intermediate transfer body, and the image is formed by further transferring it from the intermediate transfer body onto the recording material and fixing.
In these image forming processes, a cleaning process to remove an adhered material of toner remaining on the photoreceptor or intermediate transfer body after the transfer is absolutely necessary, and in the conventional cleaning method, a cleaning blade formed of urethane rubber is commonly used.
Because the cleaning method using the cleaning blade has an excellent cleaning performance in a simple structure, it is widely used, however, accompanied by the development of the technology for high image quality to enhance the resolving power of image or sharpness, the necessity to further enhance the cleaning performance is generated, therefore, it is proposed that another auxiliary cleaning means is used in addition to the cleaning blade.
For example, in Japanese publication Tokkaihei No. H8-6368, a cleaning device in which a cleaning brush onto which the voltage is applied, is provided on the upstream side of the cleaning blade, is proposed.
In this proposal, it is conducted that, by the cleaning brush onto which the voltage is applied, the toner is electrostatically separated from the photoreceptor, and a fine particle toner which can not be removed by the cleaning blade which conducts the cleaning by the mechanical scraping force, is removed by the electrostatic force.
However, in the method proposed in Japanese Published Application, because the cleaning brush occupies a large space, the device becomes large, accordingly, when it is assembled in the image forming apparatus, there is a problem that the arrangement of each structural portion of the image forming apparatus is restrained, and whole image forming apparatus becomes large.
Further, as the technology for the high image quality, the polymerized toner is recently remarked, however, there is a problem that, by the technology proposed in the Japanese Published Application, in the image forming process using the polymerized toner, it is difficult to obtain the sufficient cleaning performance.
The object of the present invention is to solve the problems in the conventional cleaning technology as described above, and to provide a cleaning method which does not occupy so large space, and is appropriate for the down-sizing of the image forming apparatus, and a cleaning device and image forming apparatus equipped therewith.
The object of the present invention is attained by any one of the following structures (1) to (26). 
(1) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body which is characterized in that: in a cleaning method of a toner image carrying body, when a discharging member which has the conductivity and is flexible plate-like, and which is electrically grounded or onto which the discharging voltage is applied, is brought into contact with the toner image carrying body, the toner on the toner image carrying body is discharged, and after the discharge, the cleaning is conducted by operating the cleaning means on the toner image carrying body.
(2) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to above (1), wherein the cleaning means is formed of an elastic plate made of resin.
(3) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to above (1) or (2), wherein the discharging member is formed of conductive resin.
(4) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (1) to (3), wherein the discharging member is formed of conductive urethane rubber.
(5) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to above (1) or (2), wherein the discharging member is formed of conductive fiber.
(6) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (1) to (5), wherein the leading edge of the cleaning means is contacted with the toner image carrying body in the counter direction relative to the moving direction of the toner image carrying body, and the leading edge of the discharging member is contacted with the toner image carrying body in the trailing direction.
(7) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (1) to (6), wherein the toner image carrying body is a photoreceptor.
(8) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (1) to (7), wherein the toner image carrying body is an intermediate transfer body.
(9) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (1) to (8), wherein there is used a pressure means for increasing the contact pressure of the discharging member onto the toner image carrying body.
(10) A cleaning method of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (1) to (9), wherein the toner image carrying body onto which the polymerized toner is adhered, is cleaned.
(11) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body which is characterized in that it has: a cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the travelling toner image carrying body; and a discharging member which contacts with the toner image carrying body on the upstream side of the movement direction of the toner image carrying body, and in order to discharge the toner on the toner image carrying body, which is electrically grounded or onto which the discharging voltage is applied, and which is formed of the conductive and flexible plate-like member.
(12) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to above (11), wherein the cleaning means is formed of a resin made plate having the elasticity.
(13) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to above (11) or (12), wherein the discharging member is formed of the conductive resin.
(14) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (13), wherein the discharging member is formed of the conductive urethane rubber.
(15) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to above (11) or (12), wherein the discharging member is formed of the conductive fiber.
(16) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (15), wherein the leading edge of the cleaning means contacts with the toner image carrying body in the counter direction of the moveing direction of the toner image carrying body, and the leading edge of the discharging member contacts with the toner image carrying body in the trailing direction.
(17) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (16), wherein the cleaning device of a toner image carrying body cleans the photoreceptor as the toner image carrying body.
(18) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (17), wherein the cleaning device of a toner image carrying body cleans the intermediate transfer body as the toner image carrying body.
(19) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (18), wherein the cleaning device of a toner image carrying body has the pressure means by which the discharging member increases the contact pressure onto the toner image carrying body.
(20) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (19), wherein the cleaning device of a toner image carrying body has a conductive support means for supporting the discharging member, and the discharging member is fixed on the conductive support means by a conductive adhering means.
(21) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to above (20), wherein the conductive adhering means is a conductive both-side adhesive tape.
(22) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (19), wherein the cleaning device of the toner image carrying body cleans the toner image carrying body on which the polymerized toner is carried.
(23) A cleaning device of a toner image carrying body according to any one of above (11) to (22), wherein the cleaning device of the toner image carrying body has a conveying means for conveying the toner scraped off by the cleaning, which is arranged between the discharging member and the cleaning means.
(24) An image forming apparatus which is characterized in that it has: the toner image carrying body; the toner image forming means for forming the toner image by using the polymerized toner on the image carrying body; a transfer means for transferring the toner image onto a recording sheet; and the cleaning device according to any one of above (11)-(23).
(25) An image forming apparatus according to above (24), wherein the toner image carrying body includes the photoreceptor.
(26) An image forming apparatus according to above (24) or (25), wherein the toner image carrying body includes the intermediate transfer body.